Sony Ericsson has had some success in the U.S. with its Cybershot and Walkman phones, but hasn't come up with a major breakthrough in the U.S. and continues to emphasize the entertainment capabilities of its lower-end feature phones through carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, rather than its smartphones. For example, Sony Ericsson's Windows Mobile-based Xperia X1 has received positive reviews but no U.S. carrier offers the phone, which means it costs a prohibitively expensive $799.99 in this country.

The company plans to announce a replacement for Jarwala "in due course."